High salinity polymer drive for surfactant flooding systems

Abstract

The invention is a method of recovering hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon formation penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well, in which a saline polymer slug containing about 0.1% to about 3.0% of a drive fluid additive is injected into the formation after the injection of a saline surfactant slug. The drive fluid additive has the structure: R(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.n H.sub.y (SO.sub.3 M).sub.x where R is a phenol, an alkylphenol having up to about 4 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, or the product of reduction of lignin in the presence of carbon monoxide or hydrogen at a temperature greater than about 200° C. and a pressure greater than about 100 psi, n has an average value of about 5 to about 30, x is 0 or 1, y is 1 if x is O, y is O if x is 1, and M is an alkali metal or ammonium ion.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of recovering hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon formation penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well, which comprises: injecting into the formation through an injection well about 0.05 to about 0.5 pore volumes of an aqueous surfactant slug having a concentration of about 0.1% to about 6.0% active component;   injecting into the formation at least 0.15 pore volumes of an aqueous drive fluid comprising about 0.01% to about 0.5% of polysaccharide by weight and about 0.1% to about 3.0% of drive fluid additive by weight,   said drive fluid additive having the structure   R(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.n H.sub.y (SO.sub.3 M).sub.x        where R is the product of reduction of lignin in the presence of carbon monoxide or hydrogen at a temperature greater than about 200°°C. and a pressure greater than about 100 psi, n has an average value of about 5 to about 30, x is 0 or 1, y is 1 if x is O, y is O if x is 1, and M is an alkali metal or ammonium ion; and   recovering hydrocarbons and other fluids from the formation through a production well.   
     
     
       2. A method of recovering hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon formation penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well, which comprises: injecting into the formation through an injection well about 0.05 to about 0.5 pore volumes of an aqueous surfactant slug having a concentration of about 0.1% to about 6.0% active component;   injecting into the formation at least 0.15 pore volumes of a saline aqueous drive fluid comprising about 0.01% to about 0.5% of polysaccharide by weight and about 0.1% to about 3.0% of drive fluid additive by weight and a salinity greater than about 4000 ppm TDS,   said drive fluid additive having the structure   R(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.n H        where R is phenol, an alkylphenol having up to about 4 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, or the product of reduction of lignin in the presence of carbon monoxide or hydrogen at a temperature greater than about 200° C. and a pressure greater than about 100 psi, and n has an average value of about 5 to about 30; and   recovering hydrocarbons and other fluids from the formation through a production well.   
     
     
       3. The method of claim 2, wherein n has an average value of about 6 to about 20. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 2, wherein R is phenol, and n has an average value of about 6 to about 8. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 2, wherein R is iso-propylphenol, and n has an average value of about 6 to about 20. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 2, wherein R is p-tert-butylphenol, and n has an average value of about 6 to about 20. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim 2, wherein the drive fluid additive comprises about 0.4% to about 2.0% by weight of the aqueous drive fluid. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim 2, wherein the surfactant slug comprises a petroleum sulfonate system. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 2, wherein the surfactant slug comprises a synthetic sulfonate system. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim 2, wherein at least 0.4 pore volumes of saline aqueous drive fluid is injected into the formation after the surfactant slug. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim 2, further comprising the injection of at least 0.25 pore volumes of saline aqueous drive fluid comprising about 0.01% to about 0.5% polysaccharide by weight after the injection of at least 0.15 pore volumes of the drive fluid comprising polysaccharide and the drive fluid additive. 
     
     
       12. A method of recovering hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon formation penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well, which comprises: injecting into the formation through an injection well about 0.05 to about 0.5 pore volumes of an aqueous surfactant slug having a concentration of about 0.1% to about 6.0% active component,   said surfactant slug comprising lignin, a primary amine having about eight to about eighteen carbon atoms and a sulfonate surfactant having an equivalent weight between about 200 and about 400 in the relative concentrations of about 1% to about 20% by weight of amine, about 10% to about 80% by weight of lignin, and about 10% to about 75% by weight of sulfonate surfactant;   injecting into the formation at least 0.15 pore volumes of a saline aqueous drive fluid comprising about 0.01% to about 0.5% of polysaccharide by weight and about 0.1% to about 3.0% of drive fluid additive by weight and a salinity greater than about 4000 ppm TDS,   said drive fluid additive having the structure   R(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.n H.sub.y (SO.sub.3 M).sub.x,        where R is phenol, an alkylphenol having up to about 4 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, or the product of reduction of lignin in the presence of carbon monoxide or hydrogen at a temperature greater than about 200° C. and a pressure greater than about 100 psi, n has an average value of about 5 to about 30, x is 0 or 1, y is 1 if x is 0, y is 0 if x is 1, and M is an alkali metal or ammonium ion; and   recovering hydrocarbons and other fluids from the formation through a production well.   
     
     
       13. The method of claim 12, wherein the lignin in the surfactant slug is lignosulfonate. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim 12, wherein the lignin in the surfactant slug is oxidized kraft lignin. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim 12, wherein the lignin in the surfactant slug is sulfonated kraft lignin. 
     
     
       16. The method of claim 12, wherein the amine is a tallow amine. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim 12, wherein the amine is present in a concentration of about 4.0% to about 11% relative to all active components in the surfactant slug. 
     
     
       18. The method of claim 12, wherein the lignin is present in a concentration of about 20% to about 60% relative to all active components in the surfactant slug. 
     
     
       19. The method of claim 12, wherein the sulfonate surfactant slug further comprises about 40% to about 70% of a sulfonate relative to all active components in the surfactant slug. 
     
     
       20. The method of claim 12, wherein the sulfonate surfactant is a petroleum sulfonate. 
     
     
       21. The method of claim 12, wherein the sulfonate surfactant is a synthetic sulfonate. 
     
     
       22. A method of recovering hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon formation penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well, which comprises: injecting into the formation through an injection well about 0.1 to about 0.3 pore volumes of an aqueous surfactant slug having a concentration of about 0.1% to about 6.0% active component;   said surfactant slug comprising lignosulfonate, a tallow amine and a sulfonate surfactant in the relative concentrations of about 4% to about 11% by weight of tallow amine, about 20% to about 60% by weight of lignin, and about 40% to about 70% by weight of a sulfonate surfactant relative to all active components in the surfactant slug,   said sulfonate surfactant having an equivalent weight of about 200 to about 400;   injecting into the formation at least 0.2 pore volumes of a saline aqueous drive fluid comprising about 0.01% to about  0.5% of polysaccharide by weight, about 0.4% to about 2.0% by weight of a drive fluid additive, and a salinity greater than about 20,000 ppm TDS,   said drive fluid additive having the structure   R(C.sub.2 H.sub.2 O).sub.n H        where R is phenol, and n has an average value of about 6 to about 20; and   recovering hydrocarbons and other fluids from the formation through a production well.   
     
     
       23. A method of recovering hydrocarbons from an underground hydrocarbon formation penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well, which comprises: injecting into the formation through an injection well about 0.1 to about 0.3 pore volumes of an aqueous surfactant slug having a concentration of about 0.1% to about 6.0% active component;   said surfactant slug comprising lignosulfonate, a tallow amine and a sulfonate surfactant in the relative concentrations of about 40% to about 11% by weight of tallow amine, about 70% by weight of a sulfonate surfactant relative to all active components in the surfactant slug,   said sulfonate surfactant having an equivalent weight of about 200 to about 400;   injecting into the formation at least 0.2 pore volumes of a saline aqueous drive fluid comprising about 0.01% to about 0.5% of polysaccharide by weight, about 0.4% to about 2.0% by weight of a drive fluid additive, and a salinity greater than about 20,000 ppm TDS,   said drive fluid additive having the structure   R(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.n H        where R is the product of reduction of lignin in the presence of carbon monoxide or hydrogen at a temperature greater than about 200° C. and a pressure greater than about 100 psi, and n has an average value of about 6 to about 20; and   recovering hydrocarbons and other fluids from the formation through a production well.